Disable Smilies in This Post. Show Signature: include your profile signature. Only registered users may have signatures.

*If HTML and/or UBB Code are enabled, this means you can use HTML and/or UBB Code in your message.

If you have previously registered, but forgotten your password, click here.

T O P I C R E V I E W

natedsanders

Nate D. Sanders auction house in Los Angeles is auctioning a record number of 42+ impressive Neil Armstrong items signed. Among the highlights are a limited edition Apollo 11 lithograph signed by Armstrong, an ALS written by Armstrong immediately signed following his return from the moon, plus check out more high-value items on our blog.

jemmy

I'm a small bit confused about some of the items for sale in this auction.

Most of these items are already up for sale on eBay, namely the Apollo 7 crew signed and the Rusty Schweickart name tag. They even have the exact same descriptions on eBay compared Sanders auctions.

I assume from the fact that there's a very limited number of prices realised, that only ten or so of the thirty-odd Armstrong items sold? Clearly price expectations are subsiding.

lspooz

I agree, most auctions presumably did not reach the reserve - in researching this auction house before I registered and bid, some of the on-line user reviews noted that reserve prices are not indicated. Thus at close of auction the high bidder may not apparently be the winner. Apparently some items then appear at the next auction, so keep watch if you missed out.

DSeuss5490

This seller has an Apollo 11 crew signed (on wood base) plastic model that we discussed in detail here a while back (pre 8/25). The seller was asking $5,000 or $6,000 initially. It was listed and relisted over and over again on eBay at varying prices with no takers.

The seller offered it to me for $3500 firm, but I passed (mainly because I didn't like the handmade plastic model). It was recently put back up on eBay and sold in the $4,000 range and is now offered by this dealer for $8500!

I have often seen things sell at RR, eBay, or other sources only to reappear as a Nate listing on eBay, but at significantly higher prices, often with no takers (I am assuming since these listings seem to last forever).

This seller has some nice stuff, but the knowledgeable buyer/collector could not possibly be the market they target.

spaced out

In this context it will be interesting to see the pricing of the Apollo 15 flown flags noted in this post.

Those flags have been on sale through Farthest Reaches for several years at $2,300. The fact that 100+ remain unsold indicates that apart from a few popular countries it seems that at this price range the flags have not sold too well.

We also see many lunar flown foreign flags in space auctions selling for the opening prices for $1,000 to $1,500 with many remaining unsold.

Will we see all this reflected in the NDS sale I wonder, or will we see a reserve set at two or three times the going rate?

gliderpilotuk

Your prediction was right, Chris. I picked up an Apollo 15 flown Argentina flag for a shade over $1k including premium.

I think there were many flag bargains, selling at well under previous dealer prices.

spaced out

I suspected there would be a hidden reserve but was pleasantly surprised that it was apparently set at $763 hammer price, or $915.60 with fees.

If you check the results only the sold items are listed and it shows 10 of 94 flags sold.

An oversize US flag (the only US flag in the sale) went high at nearly $7,500. A New York state flag went for $1,626 (inc fees), and the 8 overseas flags that sold went for $1,008 or $915.60.

Perhaps more flags would have sold if McDivitt's AstronuatCentral sale hadn't come first.

In any case it's clear that these flags would never have sold at the original Farthest Reaches price of $2,600. Over a number of years the most popular flags obviously did sell at this price but here we've seen that 84 flags failed to sell at $915. Without the reserve these would have sold in this auction for $500 to $830.

gliderpilotuk

I think the obscurity of some of the countries combined with people's perception of this auction house having traditionally high reserves put them off bidding. At $1k a piece these were bargains.